We envision a just and equitable world, but as an organization we are still learning how to achieve this. As we strive for a fair, inclusive future, we try to uplift and center voices which have been historically marginalized. We know we still have a long way to go.
We've had many great opportunities to connect with educators, advocates, and community builders in our states, through which we have learned and challenged ourselves to the shortcomings within ourselves and our company. Some of these resources and connections include:
We are also set on creating space in our community and industry for those historically excluded or silenced, in all our endeavors including community outreach, hiring and talent development, and growing our business with a focus on building access to solar for all.
In 2020, ReVision Energy Co-Owners formed Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) to recognize the intersectional relationship between environmentalism and social justice, and to highlight the work that needs to be done in the clean energy industry and beyond. We use JEDI to amplify the voices of underrepresented groups to educate and lead, both within ReVision Energy and with our customers and communities. Under the values of ReVision Energy, JEDI members will actively promote and participate in an inclusive mindset to ensure a more equitable future.
JEDI consists of five internal committees who are focused on various areas of this work. The goals of our JEDI committees are closely aligned with ReVision’s overarching mission, and further our work to build a better future by alleviating environmental and social injustices.
Our Advocacy and Partnership Group’s goal is to complement and enhance ReVision Energy’s environmental mission and policy work through direct action for racial and social justice. We do this by developing partnerships, advocating for policies, directing resources, and mobilizing co-owners and our community in support of racial justice and equity. Learn more about our initiatives and state specific resources on our Act for Justice page.
ReVision Energy and the JEDI Advocacy team are calling on our co-owners and community to Act for Justice through nonpartisan legislative lobbying and educational events with our community partners.
Join us! We’ve partnered with a variety of activists, grassroots organizations, and non-profits across our territory who are tackling issues of racial justice and climate justice. Find actions in your state by visiting our Act for Justice page.
Recognizing that voices from underrepresent group and the BIPOC community have not had their fair share at the table in the larger environmental movement, we launched our Climate Justice Voices Newsletter Column to amplify thought leaders, activists, artists, and others who are passionate about the environment, sustainability, and the convergence of anti-racism work and climate justice. Launched in September 2020, this column appears in our monthly newsletter, blog, and social media shares, and will continue indefinitely.
We are actively taking submissions for our Climate Justice Voices column. We pay contributors a competitive rate of 50c / word for their perspectives, and welcome a wide range of pitches that touch on relevant topics, including energy sovereignty, sustainable food systems, historic injustices in the environmental/climate movement, and visions for a sustainable planet and livable communities.
Read pieces from our Climate Justice Voices column.
Our Education and Training Group is focused on personal and community growth within the company. Our goal is to educate and empower our employees and greater community in JEDI principles, similar to our commitment to ESOP and B-Corp certification, through internal training, discussions, and external initiatives. We are committed to centering BIPOC voices in formal and informal training/education at ReVision, as well as reducing barriers to education and careers in our industry, particularly for underrepresented and underserved communities in our region.
When the JEDI group was formed in 2020, ReVision employee-owners decided it was important to seek formal training on the topics of cultural competency, the history of racial disparity in our region, and how to navigate conversations on justice both within the company and in the larger community. Cross Cultural Community Services, a non-profit organization run and owned by three women of color, came highly recommended from the Maine community and in January of 2021 they ran our first annual training mandatory for all employees.
CCCS has since worked with ReVision to set up additional voluntary conversations and presentations, and we look forward to our continued partnership and growth with the group. We cannot thank Regina, Deqa, and Abeir enough for guiding our company to a more equitable future!
Learning is one of our Core Values, and a big part of all we do is focused on educating ourselves and our communities with the knowledge and skills to combat the energy crisis. To increase our efforts, in 2018 we launched the ReVision Energy Training Center (RETC), which offers all at ReVision an opportunity to learn the technical and nontechnical skills to grow professionally and personally.
RETC includes the ReVision Energy Electrical Apprenticeship Program, the first solar-focused, state-certified electrical apprenticeship training program of its kind in the U.S. Not only does ReVision Energy cover the cost for our employee-owners to participate in the program, but we also provide the program in-house, to grant our installation team with the best education possible.
Visit our RETC page to learn more.
Our Access to Solar Group’s mission is to develop and implement projects that mobilize ReVision Energy resources to expand our operations to communities of color, indigenous communities, and other underserved populations who have been disproportionately disadvantaged by the fossil fuel based economy.
To democratize the clean energy transition, ReVision Energy is pro-actively helping low-to-moderate income (LMI) and environmental justice (EJ) communities gain access to solar energy, heat pumps, battery storage and electric vehicle charging stations. Historically, financial barriers have blocked LMI and EJ communities from accessing clean energy solutions. Because LMI and EJ communities disproportionately suffer from fossil fuel pollution and costs, we are committed to focusing more resources on this underserved demographic.
Installing clean energy systems at zero up front cost through creative financing is the most effective way to enable LMI and EJ communities to access clean energy solutions. This requires help from multiple fronts, including grants, individual donations, impact investors, and other financial resources.
Learn more and get involved on our LMI Program page.
For too many people, basic living necessities like food, shelter, and medical care, are very difficult to obtain. People struggling to get by generally do not have the resources to consider solar energy to reduce energy costs, and are stuck with expensive and polluting fossil fuel energy. An all-encompassing focus of ReVision’s work is tackling these barriers disproportionately faced by “low to moderate income” (LMI) populations, and we are continuously finding new ways to expand access to solar and its multitude of benefits. This year, we launched the Solar Support Initiative in northern New England to help individuals and families who face economic barriers to solar investment.
This “no-strings-attached” program is a collaboration between ReVision and the Miers family, and offers financial help to qualifying households in our tri-state territory. Our goal is to help 12 families achieve greater economic security through cost-effective solar projects and their related home technologies.
If you are interested in applying, please email Justin Miers at juiceboxkowski@gmail.com for more information.
Rooftop solar offers the ability to generate power right from your rooftop, but for many people it’s not a viable option. Community solar farms expand access by eliminating the need to own your home or have a home with a good solar roof. ReVision offers both ownership and subscription solar farm models, enabling just about anyone to make the transition to clean solar energy with no upfront cost and minimal financial commitment. Learn more on our community solar farms page.
ReVision has completed three solar projects for Keene Housing since 2018. A solar power purchase agreement, or solar PPA, allows schools, nonprofits and municipalities, who cannot take advantage of federal tax programs, to enjoy the same benefits of clean solar power afforded to businesses and homeowners – and ultimately own the system.
PPA partner projects allow ReVision to help community based organizations, like Keene Housing in New Hampshire, leverage the economic and environmental benefits of solar power with no upfront cost. Instead, the solar projects are funded by impact investors, granting these partners an opportunity to make community investments that express their commitment to environmental sustainability.
To learn more please visit our solar power purchase agreements page.
Within ReVision, our mission is to develop internal teams that provide additional, unique support for minority groups within our company. Our first team is Alectrona, whose focus is to create a safe and productive space for all who identify as woman, womxn, transgender, and nonbinary. We aim to support, retain, grow, train, diversify, and challenge ourselves to be heard and represented equally within our company, industry, and greater society.
In 2019, members of Alectrona secured $5,000 grant to create a private break room for working nursing mothers and incorporate a breastfeeding policy at ReVision Energy. This room is now a wellness room with a lactation area, prioritizing moms who might need it. This led to ReVision starting a company wide wellness committee, and every branch now has a wellness room.
ReVision won an award for this initiative, and was included in an article featuring co-owner Lyndsay Gallant, the first mother at ReVision to use the lactation room! We also worked with a local New Hampshire task force to help advocate for Senate Bill 618, which requires employers to provide time, space, and privacy for nursing mothers.
Led by ReVision Field Technician and co-owner Carley, we teamed up with the Girl Scouts to help them earn their Sun and STEM badges, teaching them about solar and electricity. Carley led workshops to test the voltage and watts of solar cells, as well as a creative class on pipe bending and conduit art!
The Talent and Culture Development pillar will hold ReVision Energy accountable to its mission to create a workforce that is welcoming, diverse, and inclusive. Our most important group of solar champions – our employee-owners – will represent a diverse set of backgrounds, interests, and identities, united in our mission to build a zero carbon society. We are deconstructing the unconscious and systematic biases that exist in recruitment and hiring systems and will provide resources for those who have not historically seen themselves in trades and technical careers to feel seen and welcomed.
